Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Top 15 Best Movies of 2011

2011 was a somewhat mediocre year in films. So mediocre that even the category for best picture at the Academy Awards was a joke. Among the influx of sequels released in 2011 and records broken at the box office, there were still a few decent and good films. Let me share with you my top 15 films of 2011. Enjoy.

Honorable Mention

Fast 5

Fun, loud and riveting action sequences. The main characters from the previous films in the franchise come together and deliver a satisfying ride and heist in Rio De Janeiro. The ending was a bit surprising as well.

15

Hanna

What drew me to this film was its unique grim cinematography and its enjoyable soundtrack. Hanna is grown and trained by her adopted father solely for revenge. A decent plot with good action sequences, this revenge thriller is fun and satisfying.

14

Warrior

Cliched fighting story line transcended with emotion and powerful performances by Nick Nolte, Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy; a family in shambles. The climatic fight scene between the two brothers will strike a tear or two.

13

A Separation

Winner of the best foreign language film at the Academy Awards, A Separation is an interesting, engaging film with a bit of suspense about a family and their present issues. Great acting and great directing makes this film worth the watch.

12We Bought A Zoo

This is a cool family flick, I enjoyed it. It's about a family who buys a zoo which is on the verge of closure. They're not sure what's gonna happen but they take the risk and make it work. Oh by the way, they actually live on the zoo premises which makes it a tad bit interesting. Good performances from the cast and a warm ending.

11

Thor

Fun, humorous and great action sequences. The demi-god Thor is banished to Earth by his father Odin. He makes new friends and falls in love but it wasn't long before he had to suit up again to fight his brother. Fun film.

10

Contagion

A tense movie about a deadly airborne virus sweeping its way across the country. It features a star-studded cast seeking to find the origin and a cure for the deadly virus. What I liked about Contagion is that normally in these kind of movies, it's usually just a survival concept. This is also evident in Contagion but we actually back-track the events which lead to the outbreak so we're sort of watching it in reverse. Not your typical outbreak film.

9

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Interesting story made even better with Rooney Mara's strong performance. A movie about a man's determination to solve a mysterious disappearance. TGWTDG was brutal, endearing and very engaging. Arguably better than the Swedish counterpart.

8

The Help

Insight into the lives of black maids back when race equality was non-existent. Very emotional film led by powerful performances and even humor. The film highlights mostly racism against blacks but they also showed a positive side within the movie. A moving film with cool characters.

713 Assassins

13 Assassins is slick, gritty and exciting movie about samurais trying to prevent a cruel lord from ascending to the throne. It's actually a remake of an earlier film in the 1960s and it was worth it. The movies builds slowly and then transcends into an entertaining and breathtaking action sequences.

6

Limitless

After watching this movie, all I could think about are those pills. An extremely fun and fast paced movie about "super pills" (that's what I call them) which increases your brain function and make you brilliant with limitless knowledge. The side effects however lol. Good acting from the cast and I adored its visuals and plot.

5

Tomboy

Charming movie highlighting the sexual identity of a girl during pre-adolescence in a simple and socially way. Ten year old Laure is able to gain the company of little boys when she tricks them into believe she's a little boy. Not only is the movie beautifully acted but the story is pretty interesting. Great watch.

4Hugo

Martin Scorsese does it again in this beautiful children's film "Hugo". A charming and fun film about cinema. The cinematography was just breath-taking. Very moving, engaging and interesting story told throughout the film. Imaginative and made even better by its fun characters.

3

Bridesmaids

The most hilarious film of the year, Kristen Wiig was just spectacular and annoying in a good way! The movie is about what the title states - some interesting and fun bridesmaids as they prepare for their friend's wedding. Bridesmaids was extremely clever, witty and the humor was on point.

2

Xmen: First Class

The "franchise savior" is what I call this Xmen film. This film was highly entertaining, fast paced with great special effects. Action sequences and acting on point. The best film of the franchise.

1

The Descendants

Fun, serious, mature, witty and engaging story powered by brilliant performances. The story is centered around infidelity and Matt King's determination for answers. The Descendants is an emotional journey and at the end, very satisfying. The movie left me with a smile on my face.